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Monday, January 24, 2011

Brilliant PR Move or Just Stupid?

I've been thinking a lot about the Rebecca Herbst news and got to thinking. Geesh, what a boon of buzz for the show. Announce a popular actress is leaving, get the fans in an uproar, get the calls, letters and petitions going. Say it's a "must see for the summer" storyline in the press release. Ergo, she's not leaving immediately (ie: there's hope)-- and people will watch to see what's going to happen to one of their fave characters/actresses.

Enter brilliantly-evil PR person who thinks this is a win-win!! First of all, if RH goes, the plan steps ahead and they save a good chunk of change. (and the ratings boon the buzz is getting). If they decide to KEEP her, they look like the good guys, "listening to the fans" -- and people watch even MORE to see how the story goes.

Why am I suspicious? They pulled similar stuff with VI On AMC not too long ago--and it also seems fishy Becky's taping so long after her termination was announced. I've just got the radar up. Either way, it can't be too bad for GH when everyone on the net is blabbin' about this and even the stars of the show are tweeting. Do I think anyone is in on this but some Wizard behind the curtain? No..the actors and Becky herself are too stunned for that to be true. I just don't trust this at the moment. Of course, this could be just an "innocent" firing because they are total idiots and really don't care about anything but the bottom line. But ya gotta wonder.

20 comments:

You know Karen, I've kind of smelled something a little fishy about this too.It could be that you and I just know that things are never quite what they seem with ABC Daytime.They do think that they are quite clever.

Then again,it could just be about the money. Now if the fans scramble to complain to advertisers and there is potential revenue loss this could spin on a dime; but if I were Becky, I'd run, not walk to exit stage left and get myself a new gig on a soap with decent ratings.

Last night I wrote up a commentary that was long and biting and nasty regarding this whole situation. I ended up deleting it because...well, it was long and biting and nasty. :-)

Today I'll try to restrain myself:

There was a time in the past I probably would have hoped that this was just a big PR stunt and been thrilled to know that Becky was not really going anywhere and would end up staying at GH. But, now, I can truthfully say that I want Becky to run as quick as she can to the nearest exit and never look back.

This show is a hollow shell of its former self. It has nothing to offer but violence, ignorance, poor writing, and a loathing for its women characters as a whole. I am ashamed to say I ever even watched it. The manner in which the writers (and I use that term very loosely) have treated Liz's character in the past 2 years is nothing less than deplorable. They obviously wanted to destroy one of the few...if not the only...character on the show that a majority of women could identify with and root for. And they have certainly accomplished their goal.

I've read all about the backstage politics and the rumors of favoritism and pets, blah blah blah. All I can say is that if Frons and JFP and Guza were heading up a corporation in the real world? Well, that corporation certainly wouldn't exist in this economic climate. They would have been out on the street a long time ago. They are truly that ignorant and stupid.

I wish beautiful Becky much success somewhere else. I would love to see her at Y&R or in a primetime role. Perhaps even do one of the online soaps? It really doesn't matter. I only want her to be happy. I admire her for her integrity and poise and professionalism in a morally deficient work environment.

I respect all the actors and the hard-working people at GH and wish them well. But I'm glad that Becky is out. She deserves so much better.

I have to agree with the others. If this is a PR stunt, I hope it backfires on them and Becky walks out the door to move on to bigger and better things. She does have a young family to support, and it just might not be possible for her to walk away if given the ability to stay. Either way, Becky has the respect and support of the fans, which is more than Guza et al have ever had!

Folks,What you're seeing in Daytime is the last gasps...The whole thing is going down and with the exception of Y&R and maybe B&B, I think will all be cancelled within 3 years. I hate to say it, as GH has been a companion to me ever since elementary school when I got caught up in the Ice Princess storyline and the great chemistry of the cast (Luke/Laura, Luke/Scorpio, Scorpio/Holly, Alan/Monica on again off again, Lucy Coe vs. Bobbi, my favorite villains SCOTTY BALDWIN and crazy Heather Webber). As I said yesterday, the writers need to start planning for a 2 year endgame, plan accordingly, and use the deadline as an excuse to really dig into the existing characters and wrap things up in a fashion that honors the legacy of the show.Let it burn out in one last supernova of brilliance rather than just fade away.The guy that wrote Night Shift 2 could be up to such a task. Guza, unless he has some kind of epiphany any time soon, sadly can't handle it.

I've had thoughts in many direction about this. I do think money is at the root of it. TPTB at GH have long been stupidly short-sighted. But also, I don't think Guza likes to write for characters not centered around the mob. He likes the down and dirty world. A nice girl from a good family, a nurse, somebody's sweetheart, well, he just doesn't see the possibilities for story there.

But if this is about money only, then I wonder.... Why does OLTL look so much better than GH? GH sets are so cheap-Jason's penthouse looks squalid, small, dark, kinda tacky. As does Lucky's place and Sonny's, Dante's, and even the gambling boat. Dark raw wood and paneling that is painted to look like wood, cement block walls, no real luxury anywhere. Grim places. While on OLTL, the sets are bright and Viki's and Dorian's places look like they ARE mansions and were professionally decorated, have antique pieces, real luxury. There is color and feminine touches, swag curtains, etc. Yet Carly's and Jax's new house looks like a cheap set--you can hear Laura's shoes hitting those wood set floors. And on OLTL, they have extras in restaurants, and diners and airports etc, where you expect to see people. And a scene might have six characters in it. While at GH they are stock shooting--get a scene of two in conversation, insert that between other two characters in conversation, etc, so only maybe eight people even need to come to work that day. With everyone dressed in grey or black. When have we seen Alexis in anything but black? Nancy's wardrobe on SB was gorgeous--here it is almost unnoticable, bland. Everybody's is. Colorless. Is it just enormous bad taste on the part of GH's wardrobe and set design people, or does OLTL have more money, or what? Why do the rich people's houses look like the characters living there might actually be rich? Wheras Sonny's house look small, dark and tacky and his fireplace is under a stairs??I swear, my brother's basement furniture is far classier than anything in Sonny's abode.I'm sure it is on purpose that GH is all dark wood and gloomy cement walls to match the downbeat content of the show, but really... it looks so cheap.I wouldn't bet that OLTL has more money, but they sure use it better. And with all that money saved on sets and wardrobe, they can surely keep their top leading lady... (Shaking head...)

I so agree on OLTL and how they look so much "richer" than other soaps. Richer in sets, extras..they go outside. They don't do a lot of block taping at all so all the characters are around together. Makes a huge difference

@CarrieAgree that OLTL is great - have kept up with it casually over the years (as in watching 2 or 3 times a month) and am always entertained. However, the ratings for it are NOT so great and no matter how good the quality of the show, that's the bottom line these days.

As optimistic as I may want to be and hope that it is a brilliant PR stunt, I'm just more inclined to believe it's just stupid!!!

It's so hard to even put into words sometimes how disgusted I've and I'm sure many other fans have become with our beloved show.

I want to apologize if this becomes a long winded post. As I've been sitting with this notion ever since they decided to announce Rebecca Herbst's firing and would like to vent and share with fellow readers/posters.

As some have pointed out, what will become of Steve Webber?? His one and only real connection to the show will be soon departing. So, why keep him around? Why invest in a story that involves a love interest in Olivia?Forget the love interest part, why is the love interest Olivia? Another character that is connected to Sonny!!Every female character on this show is in one way or another connected to Sonny or will be down the road. It's like the parade route for female characters runs right through his bedroom.

Why wouldn't you have him get involved with a character that hasn't been romantically involved with Sonny?My choice would have been Emily. Just wish they didn't have her as a former love interest for Sonny.Picture all the possibilities.

It could have been another go around of the Rick/Monica/Alan love triangle.Just have Steve/Emily/Nikolas in their place respectively.Nikolas trying to sabotage Steve's career as Chief of Staff, kill him ala Cassadine methods. Emily caught in the middle.

Another issue is, when Kimberly McCullough decided to come back, it was a perfect opportunity to have a love triangle with Patrick/Robin/Jason. But instead, they had to do a redux of Jason/Robin love story only with Jason/Sam and it was a lousy one at that.This time around, Sam is suffering through the loss of a child and Jason falls for her (all over again - SARCASM INTENDED) and she helps him cope when he can't remember. As opposed to last time around, Robin is suffering the loss of Stone and struggling to except her diagnosis as HIV +, and Jason dealing with memory loss and they help one another cope.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Sam do exactly what Keesha did during the first go around of this memory loss story? That is pressure him to remember her and their love for one another. So, why the change? Why, didn't they have him push Sam away as he did with Keesha all those years ago? Were we supposed to buy their love was strong enough to overcome the obsticles? Truth is, they didn't know what to do with Sam if she wasn't involved with Jason.

The symmetry was there. It would have been much more soapy had they had Jason fall for Robin and then him struggling with getting past the whole Michael debacle. It would have been more fluid had they allowed them to get past that then.

And, the real kicker would have been had Jason decided to finally walk away from both Carly and the Mob.Have him struggle to adjust working at ELQ. Doing something respectable. The time had come for a change with Jason's character. It's 5 years too late now.

The biggest problem with this show is that they made a supporting character the lead when in fact he was much better as a supporting character. Lead characters are supposed to be somewhat the moral compass of the show. And, their struggles to do the right thing. Not, someone who who's moral compass is so F'd up that he doesn't even know the difference between up and down.

Sonny was far more likeable when he wasn't the lead. You could empathize with his plight, struggle. Now, it's just plain sad. No one cares. His struggles don't have the same impact if there is no growth. Sometimes a small thing is a good thing.

There is so much more I would like to say but.....What's the point?!?!?